Bbidge foe facilitating the passage of shipping



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheen; 1. 1E BARNETT BRIDGE FOB. FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OI SHIPPING, &c. No. 316,597.

Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. F. BARNETT.

BRIDGE FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE 0P SHIPPING, &c. No 316,597.

Patented Apr. 28, 1885 N. PETERS. Phomulho n hcr. Washingtan. D. c.

lUnrrisn STATES Artist Orrrcir,

FREDERIO BARNETT, OF 106 QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, LONDON, ENGLAND.

BRlDGE FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OF EHIPPiNG, @LC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,597, dated April 28, 18855.

Application filed September 22, 1884. (No model.) Patented in England October 19, 1875, No. 3.620; in France February I7, 1876, No.

, l1l,5l9, and in Belgium May 1, 1876, No. 39, 446.

To aZZ whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIO BARNETT, a subject of the Queen of Great Britaimresiding at 106 Queen Victoria Street, in the city of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges for Facilitating the Passage of Shipping without stopping the carriage or general traffic, (for which a patent has been granted to me in Great Britain, dated October 19, 1875, No. 3,620; in France, dated February 17, 1876, No. 111,519, and in Belgium, dated May 1, 187 6, No. 39,446;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,'clear, and exact description of the iuventiomsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Important rivers flowing through rich and denselypopulated cities are undoubted ports, especially those influenced by the tide and having abundant depth of water to enable great ships and steamers to navigate them to a great extent, freighting cargoes to and from their very centers, loading and unloading. their rich produce at the wharves which fringe their banks. lhese wharves, from their vast shipping commerce, are of immense value. Were vessels,however,prevented from coming alongside these wharves by the intervention of ordinary or low-level bridges, their business would inevitably be paralyzed, and, as a natural consequence, loss and ruin would ensue. On the other hand, a great evil exists in some such cities, where for miles nomeans exist to enable wagons, carriages, foot, and general traffic to cross the river where there exists the greatest necessity, except by very long and circuitous routes over the nearest bridges, by such means causing loss of time,waste of horsefiesh, and wear ofvehicles, besides the danger resulting from overcrowding where many great thoroughfares merge into one compara tively narrow channel. lVhen and where such a state of things occurs, it evidently can only be relieved by additional bridge accommodation connecting the river banks in such parts of the rivers where new communication becomes indispensable; but as low-level bridges have usually only sufficient headway at high tide to allow the passage beneath them of barges,river-steamers,and similar craft, it becomes evident that such bridges would be im practicable, as they would bar the passage of large sailing-ships or steamers. High-level bridges, on the other hand, usually require very long or circuitous sloping apgroaches, unless provided with special expensive and time-wasting hoists for raising and lowering vehicles and passengers to and from such high levels, and the time, taken for such raising and lowering operations absolutely prevents any considerable traffic. In order to overcome these difficulties, I have invented a low-level bridge which completely remedies the inconveniences by permitting the largest sailingvessels or steamers with masts one hundred feet or more high to pass through it without stopping for one second the general traffic of horses, carriages, or foot passengers, and to this effect my improved bridge can be established in any part of a river.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View, Fig. 2 aplan, and Fig. 3 an elevation, of part of a bridge to which my invention is applied.

From each bank (where the river is from six hundred to one thousand two hundred feet wide or more) by single approaches of about one-third its width,extending inwardlytoward the center, I construct my bridge either of stone, iron, or any other suitable material, A to A and A to A, at the ordinary elevation above the highest tides. To span the remain ing space between the approaches A A and A A, where those terminate, the road splits into two roads of the same width and height by easy inclined angles outwardly extending from A to O and from A to 0 till they meet the movable bridges F F at G O C O, the whole forming a sort of angular loop. In its largest diameter I have on each side (by preference) two openings, D D and D D, practically covered and united by the platforms or gates or swing-bridges F F turning on their centers. The platforms, each covering the two openings,'by one operation cover or uncover both at the same time on the one side of the loop. These openings D D D D are sufficiently wide to permit the widest ships that come up or down such rivers to pass through them. In the largest diameter, D to D, there will be sufficient length to accommodate the longest ships that navigate such rivers to moor within the loop, if necessary. From the central pier, J J, extending the whole length of the width of the loop, there is a platform, H H, uniting the two piers, which platform lies even with the axis of the river, dividing the loop into halves, at the same time being provided'with the means for mooring ships alongside, if necessary. On the extreme of the piers J J there will be capstans.

K K are two watchhouses, supported on the top ofthe bow-string girders of the swingbridges, wherein the lookoutmen work the hydraulic or other machinery by suitable levers for working the swing-bridges, and on the top of thesehouses there are signal-lights fixed thereto. There will be two other platforms, I to l and l to 1; running parallel to the chief platform H H. These platforms in conjunction keep the vessels straight on their road through the loop. The vessels steering port will thus pass through the opposite sides of H H, completely assured against the risk of collision. All the piers and platforms may be protected by narrow lighters, rising and falling with the tide, which will guarantee both piers, platforms, and vessels from injury. The central platform, H H, may be a continuous pier, or may rest on two end piers which support the swing-bridge pivots. The two other platforms, I I and I I, may similarly only be continuous piers, or may rest on two piers which support the roadway ends 0 O O 0. These platforms may be of a convenient height for mooring As soon as a vessel is about to enter the loop the gates at B A and B A on the roadways, which extend from parapet to parapet, will be closed, so as to bar completely the passage of man or beast, by

such means divertingthe whole of the traffic onto the opposite side of the loop. Then one of the latforms working on its center either at F or F, as the casev may be, on the side the vessel is about entering the loop is opened, either by mechanical, steam, or hydraulic, or

manual power, and the vessel enters forthwith, the bridge turning completely and continuously in the same direction on its own axis or pivot. When the vessel is fairly in, the gate or swinging or turn-table bridge behind it is closed, and the gates B A and B A being opened and closed on the opposite side where the road splits, the whole traffic,

without being stopped for a minute, will be diverted behind the ship.. The turn-table bridge on the opposite side being then opened,

as before described, the ship will pass out on its way. It is thus evident that by my invention thelargest ships can pass through my lowlevel bridge without stopping for a minute the general traffic.

I am aware that single swing-bridges or draw-bridges for a canal have been made, and also that swing-bridges pivoted in the middle and having two passages for vessels have been made; also, that two swing-bridges have been proposed, one at each end of a single waterway, for the passage of one vessel in one direction only; but no provision was made for guiding the vessel or preventing fouling of the same with the bridge.

By the use of a main or central continuous pier in the middle of the loop, extending the whole width from one swing-bridge to the other, and two smaller piers, one on each side of the main pier, and at a sufficient distance sages for vessels, in combination with centrally-pivoted swing-bridges, one at each end of the said main pier, and diagonal approaches to the two side piers connecting together and with the bridge to the shore, substantially as set forth.

FREDERIO BARNETT.

Witnesses: 1

H. G. WRIGHT, JOHN D. VENN, Both of 9 Gracechurch Street, London, E. C.

'fixed side piers and the'two intermediate pas- 

